The Tempo of Heartbeats
by Archer973
Summary: Sara and Leonard go undercover at a party. Leonard surprises Sara with a dance.
1. Chapter 1

"Well, I'll say this for Savage, he knows how to throw a party," Sara murmured, coming up beside Leonard where he stood in the doorway. Leonard turned to look at her and for a moment felt as if all the air had been pulled from his lungs.

She was beautiful. Her golden hair was pulled up in an elegant twist that had taken Kendra eons to accomplish, leaving her face and neck tantalizingly bare. Leonard ran his eyes down the long column of her throat, licking his lips unconsciously. The brilliantly blue dress was clasp only on one shoulder, leaving the other bare for his hungry gaze. The satiny fabric clung to her in all the ways her Canary suit did and more. The gown fell all the way to the floor, but a slit ran up the right side all the way to mid-thigh, flashing tantalizing peaks of creamy skin (and possibly a thigh sheath) whenever she moved.

"Earth to Leonard." Sara's voice jerked him back from his contemplation of her… weaponry. He blinked, raising his eyes up to meet hers, mentally kicking himself for losing concentration.

"See something you like?" Sara asked teasingly, smirking at him, though Leonard could see the faint hint of a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Yes," he replied, unrepentant, letting his eyes sweep over her again. "You look beautiful… Sara." Sara blushed fully this time, reaching up as if to touch her hair, but stopping the motion halfway, remembering Kendra's dire warnings about fussing with it.

"Thanks," she said, grinning at him. "You don't look so bad yourself."

It was true. Leonard's black suit fit him perfectly, hugging the trim waist and accentuating his slim, graceful frame. His shirt was buttoned all the way to the throat, but Stein had lost the argument for a tie. He looked handsome and elegant, like he belonged here among all these powerful people. And he did, in a way. Leonard may not have been a business tycoon or a political leader, but in his world he was a king, and held himself like one.

"So," Sara said, breaking away from her thoughts, fighting the heat coloring her cheeks as she turned her attention to the glittering, bejeweled world leaders moving around the room in front of them. "Do you see Diraga?"

"Not yet," Leonard replied, also turning his attention to the room, though there was a small smile tucked into the corner of his lips. "And I can't see the spear either. They must be holding it in another room before the unveiling."

"It would be perfect if we could get it _before_ Savage presented it. Then not only would it be lost, but he'd look like an idiot too," Sara said, studying the room, trying to see where a door might be concealed.

"I like the way you think, Lance," Leonard replied, grinning at Sara, a sparkle in his eye. "Find the room where he's keeping the spear, get in, steal it, get out, swipe Diraga's keycard if we get the chance…"

"Sounds like a plan," Sara agreed, nodding. "Now we just have to find the room without blowing our cover." At that moment the band struck up a new song and people began to move towards the dance floor. Leonard watched them for a moment, then grinned, turning to his companion.

"You want to dance, Sara?" he asked, echoing the words she had said to him in a bar not so long ago. He offered her his hand, half-bowing, but never taking his eyes off her, raising an eyebrow when she looked at him in confusion. Sara bit her lip, glancing at the dance floor with some trepidation, but then nodded, laying her hand in Leonard's, marveling at how warm his skin was.

Immediately Leonard swept her onto the dance floor. Her right hand was in his left and her left hand rested on his firm, muscled shoulder. Leonard's right hand was placed gently on her back as they stood in perfect waltz position in the middle of the floor.

"Ready?" Leonard asked quietly, looking at Sara. She bit her lip, then took a deep breath and nodded.

Leonard began to move, following the tempo of the music. Sara stumbled, half from the lack of muscle memory and half from nerves. She didn't want to look like a bad dancer, not in front of Leonard. With Rip it hadn't mattered, she hadn't cared, but now…

"Relax," Leonard murmured, squeezing Sara's hand gently, drawing her attention back to him. "Just follow my lead."

Sara took a deep breath, then looked up, meeting Leonard's blue eyes with her own. She let her body relax, melting into the man before her, feeling his hand strong on her back, guiding her, the other hand supporting her as they moved into a smooth, graceful waltz.

"I thought you didn't like to dance," Sara murmured, more for something to say than anything else, trying to distract herself from the way Leonard's shoulder felt under her hand, warm and strong, and the way she could feel his breath on her cheek. He was so close to her, the lapels of his jacket brushing against her chest, his blue eyes staring down at her, a soft, unfamiliar smile on his lips.

"I like have a partner," Leonard replied, lifting his arm to spin her in a delicate twirl, then gently gathering her back in again, hands warm and sure. "And this music. It's all numbers and counts and structure and planning. I like that. It's like if breaking into a vault was music, only the treasure isn't diamonds. The notes are the lasers: Step, step, turn, spin, step, twirl…" Sara laughed, feeling giddy as he spun her again. This time when they came together they were chest to chest, bodies pressed together.

Sara felt a moment of terror, of _too much, too close, must get free, must get away, kill him, hurt him, break him_ … Then Leonard squeezed her hand, her name a whisper on his lips, and the voices stopped. She sighed, relaxing into him once more. Looking up into those stunning blue eyes, Sara wondered…

Movement caught her eye. It was Diraga, their mark. He had just come out of what appeared to be solid wall, but doubtless led to where Savage was keeping the spear.

"Well," Leonard said, sounding genuinely disappointed, having seen Diraga at the same time she had. "Guess the fun's over now." Sara looked up at him, biting her lip.

"Fuck it," she muttered, throwing caution to the wind and surging forward, catching Leonard in a hot, searing kiss, her hands fisting in the lapels of his jacket as she pulled him to her, uncaring that they were still in the middle of the dance floor and that everyone, including their team, could see them.

"Fun's only over for now," she said, pulling back and grinning as Leonard. He regarded her for a moment, then grinned back, his whole face lighting up with a fierce kind of joy.

"I'll hold you to that, Canary," he replied quietly, tilting her head up and kissing her again, a slow, hot drag of lips that left Sara panting and longing for more. "Now, let's go get the bastard."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Leonard lay stretched out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The others had long since turned in, exhausted by a difficult, but successful, mission, but Leonard couldn't quite seem to drift over the edge. It wasn't the thin, lumpy mattress (hell, the prison cots made this feel like it was made of clouds), nor the chilly temperature of the air (he was Captain Cold, for fucks sake… plus he'd brought like three extra blankets), not even the demons that lived in his mind. No, this time it was an angel that kept him awake.

Not that Sara Lance was really an angel, not unless you wanted to call her an angel of death. But even then that was unjust. She wasn't an angel, nor a demon… She was a person, just like him, fighting demons whose cousins he knew linger in the recess of his own mind.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Leonard almost didn't hear the quiet knock on his door. He looked at in surprise, eyebrows coming together. It wasn't Mick, they had long since stopped knocking when it came to entering a room, and Hunter would have had the AI wake him if there was some kind of emergency. That only left…

Leonard got to his feet and crossed the small room quickly, then paused, taking a steadying breath before opening the door, signature smirk firmly in place as the metal whooshed back.

It was Sara, as he had expected. She had long since forgone the evening dress of before and was now clad in a simple t-shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. It made her look… different. Younger, maybe.

"Canary," Leonard greeted, his voice lacking the usual biting lilt, nodding his head in greeting.

"Leonard," Sara replied, smiling almost shyly at him. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Hardly," Leonard assured her, leaning against the doorframe. "I can't seem to sleep yet." It was a little more of an admission than he had intended to make, but Sara smiled, nodding her head in understanding.

"Me either," she replied, glancing at him again. "I… I was kind of hoping that you would still be awake."

"Oh?" Leonard asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking at her. "And why's that?" Sara took a deep breath, one hand moving as if it wanted to clench into a fist, fingers kneading the air.

"The bloodlust," she said, lips going thin and pinched as she struggled with the words that made Leonard immediately sober. "It's… struggling. To get out, you know. And usually I just train, or meditate but… I didn't feel it, when we were dancing earlier, so I was wondering if maybe…" She trailed off, fingers fully clenched into a fist, body stiff as if she were expecting a blow, or perhaps preparing to flee. Leonard's heart clenched and he dropped the mask, the teasing, the sarcasm, all of it, a small part of him grateful that they were alone so that he could.

"Sara," he murmured, reaching out, moving slowly, giving her time to track his every movement. "Come inside." Sara jerked, meeting his eyes again. There was something lurking in those blue-grey depths, a beast that had followed her from the Pit. Leonard didn't flinch, looking at the woman who carried the rage and thirst of thousands of souls inside her, unafraid.

Sara remained stiff for a moment, then she sighed, seeming almost to droop before him, the tension running out of her body. She moved past Leonard into the room, touching him gently on the side in silent thanks. Leonard shut the door behind her, taking the moment to calm his racing heart, almost hating the way such a simple touch could make him feel like he was on fire.

When he turned, Sara was standing in the middle of the room, looking a little lost. Leonard went to her, not speaking, just taking her hand in his and lifting them into the waltz position. Sara looked at him for a moment, then took a deep breath, the ghost of a smile flickering across her face, and lifted her hand up to rest on his shoulder.

"Sorry I don't have any music," Leonard murmured, giving Sara a small, crooked smile, so different from his usual smirk. Sara returned it, her eyes warm and soft.

"We always have music," she replied quietly, bringing her hand over to rest briefly over his heart, feeling the steady _thump-thump, thump-thump_ beneath her hand, a solid certainty in a world that was always shifting under her feet. Leonard couldn't speak, his throat suddenly closed tight by an emotion he didn't quite dare to name. Instead he nodded and began to move them in slow, small circles, never taking his eyes off the woman in his arms.

Sara felt both exhausted and content. She could feel Leonard's warmth as they moved slowly together, could smell the faint hint of a cologne surely stolen and that naturally crisp undercurrent that was all him.

Letting the last bit of tension fall out of her, Sara sighed, resting her head against Leonard's shoulder, forehead pressed to the base of his neck. She felt his pulse jump and almost pulled away, but his arm came around her, holding her close against him. She smiled, pressing closer, their bodies still moving in a small, swaying circle.

She felt lips press gently to the crown of her head and this time it was her heart that jumped. Humming in contentment, she lifted her chin and pressed her lips gently against the delicate white skin of Leonard's neck, grinning when she felt his pulse jump again, this time against her lips. She did it again, and again, and again, adding little nips in between.

"Sara…" Leonard's voice was deeper than she had ever heard it, and strained, as if he was trying very hard to control it. Sara looked up, not moving away from him. He was looking down at her, the blue of his eyes almost eclipsed by his pupils, turning his eyes almost black. Sara felt heat rush through her at the sight and she angled her head, wanting to kiss him again, _really_ kiss him, behind the privacy of a locked door and without the threat of death hanging over them.

"Tell me right now whether you want to sleep or continue on like this, because if you bite my neck one more time… Just tell me, Sara." Leonard was looking at her like was ready to devour her, but she knew that if she said she wanted to stop, if she just wanted to curl up with him under those deliciously soft looking blankets, he would, not questions, no pressure (maybe a cold shower, but she wouldn't begrudge him that).

"Well, I did promise you some fun, didn't I, Leonard?" Sara replied, grinning up at him and, eyes never leaving his, nibbled his neck once more.

Growling, Leonard attacked her lips, kissing her fiercely, all lips and tongue, pressing her hard against his body, hand coming up to cradle the back of her head as he tilted it back, using his superior height to plunder her mouth. Sara responded just as fiercely, nipping at his lips, unsure if the slight coppery taste of blood came from him or her, but not caring either way. She ran a hand up the back of his head, scratching at his scalp with her nails, reveling at the feel of his hair against her palm, surprisingly soft for all its wiry look.

"Bed, now," she panted when Leonard moved from her mouth to her neck, repaying her teasing nips in kind, making her knees tremble as he hit that sweet spot at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Leonard chuckled, pulling back and looking at her with eyes so dark blue they were almost black.

"Eager, much?" he asked, voice rumbling out of his chest. " _You_ weren't the one being teased. I think a little payback is due before we move onto the main event."

"What do you - ?" Sara's question was cut off as Leonard suddenly pulled her shirt up over her head, exposing her bare chest to the cool air of the room.

"No bra?" Leonard asked, his voice teasingly aghast, though his face was practically gleefully. "Miss Lance, I am shocked."

"Yeah, I bet," Sara retorted, grinning, suddenly feral, the cold air hardening her nipples and making them long for his warm, clever fingers. "Well, fair's fair." She attacked his shirt, rucking it up so she could trail cool fingers across his firm, muscled stomach, grinning as he inhaled sharply. Leonard smirked down at her, lifting his arms, letting her pull the shirt the rest of the way off, leaving them both topless in the quickly warming room.

As the cotton garment hit the floor, Sara took a moment to look at the man before her. This was the first time she had seen him out of the multiple layers he always seemed to wear. He was muscular, not bulging like Mick, but toned, his muscles long and lean, the build of a man who never carried any more with him than he had to, who made his living being quick, quiet, and nimble.

It took her a few moments to notice the scars. They were old, almost faded completely into his pale skin. In an instant she knew what they were, knew who had put them there. For once she wanted to use the bloodlust, feed it a true monster, the beast that had marked that beautiful skin with so much anger.

"Ugly, aren't they?" Sara jerked her head up. Leonard was watching her, his lips twisted in a sour, self-deprecating smile, hands clenched into fists at his side. His eyes were cold and pale once more, the walls slammed firmly shut. Sara's heart clenched and she knew in that moment that, if she ever could, she would kill his father.

"No," she said fiercely, closing the distance between them and taking his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "They're you, and you, Leonard, are ridiculously fucking attractive. We've all got scars. It means we fucking survived, and that is beautiful. Never let anyone tell you any different." Leonard stared down at her, body still stiff. Sara looked back, peeling back her walls, letting him see the scars that lived behind her eyes, marking the walls of her soul in ugly twisting lines.

Gradually Leonard loosened, barriers slowly sliding down until the real man was looking out again. Reaching up a hand, Leonard brushed a thumb across Sara's cheek, so surprisingly tender that it made her heart clench.

Standing up on her toes, Sara brought their lips together slowly, a kiss gentler than any they had shared so far, cradling his face in her hands, pressing their bare skin together, the flames momentarily banked. Instead they stood there, chests pressed together, feeling their hearts beating in tandem, a deep, powerful rhythm, a shared connection that transcended flesh and moved within their very souls.

Gradually the fire began to rise again between them, the comforting press of skin turning to sparks, tender kisses becoming intermingled with nipping teeth and teasing tongues. Leonard's hands roamed Sara's body, warm fingers lightly tracing over her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She returned the attention in kind, running her hands over the strong planes of his back, down his sides to where his pants hugged tight to his hips.

Pulling back, Sara looked at Leonard, a silent question in her eyes, her hand lingering on the top of his pants. Leonard nodded, smiling slightly as Sara grinned, making quick work of the clasped zipper and pushing the pants down.

"No underwear?" Sara asked in her own teasing tone, pursing her lips in faux disapproval. "Mr. Snart, I am shocked."

"The one place I don't like layers," Leonard replied, smirking, then pulling her in for an eager kiss, his hands coming up to brush against the underside of her breast, making Sara moan quietly. "Now, it's your turn." He pushed the soft boyshorts down, catching her panties with his thumbs and dragging them down as well.

"Now," he murmured, looking at Sara with a heady heat in his eyes. "It's my turn to tease." Then he sank to his knees, trailing hot, opened-mouth kisses down her body as he went until he reached his prize.

"Oh god," Sara moaned as she felt his mouth, hot and wet, pressed against the most intimate part of her, throwing her head back and grabbing at Leonard's shoulder for support.

"Leonard will suffice," he quipped, earning him a small smack on the shoulder even as Sara laughed, which quickly turned into high, breathy sounds as Leonard nudged her legs open farther and dived in.

Sara quickly discovered it wasn't only his words and fingers that were nimble, but his tongue as well. He ate her out with passion and a gleeful, impish joy that was almost boylike in the best, most endearing way. He seemed determined to find every spot that made her moan, quiver, or gasp, exploring her like a lock he was determined to pick.

He brought her to the edge over and over again, but never quite pushed her over. Sara wanted to scream, wanted to grab his head and grind against face until she came, but she played by his rules, leaning almost entirely into the hands wrapped firmly around the back of her thighs, supporting her as he made her knees tremble and quake.

"Leonard, I swear to God, if you do not fuck me right now…" Sara growled after the third time, digging her nails a little more forcefully into his shoulder than necessary.

"You love it," Leonard replied, grinning impishly up at her. Sara looked down at him, fixing the image in her mind, Leonard, with his dark blue eyes warm and happy, grinning up at her from between her legs, body lose and naked. In that moment, Sara couldn't remember seeing anything more perfect.

"I want you inside me," she retorted, though it came out less of an order and more of a breathless confession, painted with lust and dripping longing. Leonard looked at her for a moment, seeing her, truly seeing her, eyes staring into the soul she so willingly opened to him, and in that moment they were truly naked before each other.

Rising slowly to his feet, Leonard leaned in and kissed her, letting her taste herself on his lips as he walked them slowly back towards the bed. Sara moaned and, feeling the bed hit the back of her knees, fell backwards willingly, wrapping an arm around Leonard's neck and pulling him with her.

"Condom?" she asked breathlessly, shifting so she could feel the length of him nudging against her quivering, overstimulated entrance.

"In the nightstand but… I'm clean, and I took care of the kids issue a long time ago," Leonard replied, stroking a stray piece of hair away from her face. Sara paused, looking at him, a question in her eyes.

"A conversation for another time," he said quietly, smiling slightly, pressing a light kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Do you want...?" Sara thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"No," she replied, reaching up and touching Leonard's cheek lightly, a small, tender smile on her lips. "I want to… be with you. Fully. I want you, Leonard, I want you so much, have ever since I first saw you."

"Me too," Leonard murmured, kissing her gently, shifting so that he was pressed against her entrance, breath coming more quickly, groaning at the feel of her wet heat. "Oh God, Sara –"

"Please, Leonard… Oh fuck, yes, oh…" Leonard pressed forward slowly, groaning as he sank into Sara. He felt like he was on fire, like his skin couldn't contain him and the woman beneath him was his only anchor as the world shifted and narrowed down to her, down to creamy skin, gold hair, and beautiful blue eyes.

He had planned to take his time, to do this right, to bring her again and again, on the bed, against the wall, under her, over her, behind and in front… But the way Sara felt around him, the way she welcomed him in, deeper and deeper, destroyed his reason, his plans, all thought and calculation gone. All he knew was Sara, and that was all he needed.

Their bodies moved together is fierce passion, but their kisses were tender, hands stroking skin that nails had bit into, tongues laving sharp bites. It was both primal and intimate, a joining of being that went far beyond the body. Sara looked into Leonard's eyes as she came apart, his name falling from her lips as she shook and quivered, overwhelmed by pleasure.

Leonard tried to fight it, tried to last, to bring her again, to keep pleasuring her, for he would steal the sun, moon, and stars if he could only just see her face as she came again, could hear the way his name sounded panted from her lips as she arched in ecstasy, but it was too much, he was burning alive, and it was a death he wanted to experience for the rest of eternity.

"Sara…" Her name was both a plea and a benediction, a tribute and a declaration as he emptied himself into her, joining them fully, intimately, binding them together in a way that was both spiritual and primal, and all the more powerful because of it.

Leonard collapsed sideways, just barely avoiding crushing Sara beneath him, though most of his body was still draped across hers. Sara laughed breathlessly, turning so that their faces were inches apart, grinning at him.

"Well, that was… amazing," she said, chuckling lightly, which did very interesting things to Leonard's softening cock, making him groan half in pleasure, half in pain.

"I try," he replied, grinning at her. Sara shoved him, though it was so half-hearted that he barely moved, her chuckle growing into laughter. Leonard shoved her lightly back, groaning as he finally slipped free of her warm core. He rolled onto his back, pulling Sara with him. She molded herself against his side, propping herself up on an elbow so she could look at him.

"Mind if I stay?" she asked, cocking her head, the walls she had built so meticulously showing just around the edges of her eyes, ready to shut.

"You're always welcome," Leonard replied, his voice still that low, honest rumble that she never heard around the others. "I – I'd like you to, if you want to." Sara beamed at him, a brilliant, happy smile that immediately made Leonard's heart squeeze in his chest.

"I want to," she assured him, leaning forward and kissing him gently, hand coming up to rest on his chest, fingers idly stroking the skin there. Then she lay her head on his shoulder, pressing her face into his neck, smile still curling the edges of her lips. Leonard let out a breath, letting the last bit of tension slip out of him as he wrapped his arm around Sara, holding her tight to his side.

"Goodnight, Leonard."

"Goodnight… Sara."


End file.
